The Welsh Pony and Cob Society
Cymdeithas y Merlod a'r Cobiau Cymreig

Royal Welsh Show 2002

There were 1690 entries in the in-hand Welsh sections at the Royal Welsh show, plus 305 under saddle, 53 in harness, 56 Welsh part-breds in hand — plus many more in the palomino, riding pony breeding, private driving and trekking classes. Examples of class entries are 78 Section A foals, 46 Section C stallions and 67 Section D barren mares.

From a total of 3179 horse and pony entries, the HOYS Cuddy Breeders' qualifier, judged by Mrs Cynthia Higgon, was the Welsh Section B mare Eyarth Windflower, with the Welsh cob stallion Gwynfaes Culhwch reserve. Owing to a connection between the owners and the judge, it will be Culhwch who will represent the Royal Welsh at the Horse Of The Year Show. Windflower is still only five years old, has her first foal at foot and won at the Royal Welsh Show for the third time. Reserve Section B champion was the chestnut stallion Carwed Charmer, who is one of the five animals featured on Phillipa Porley's recently issued print The Pride of Wales. Four of the nine finalists in the Section B championship were palominos, including the reserve male champion, the yearling Wedderlie Mardi Gras.

The Section D champion, Gwynfaes Culhwch, is also only five years old, and one of the youngest ever to have his name engraved on the coveted George Prince of Wales cup since it was presented in 1908. Culhwch is a very promising youngster and his progeny have already commanded top prices at sales. The reserve cob champion was the seven year old mare Fronarth Model Lady, whose illustrious dam, Fronarth Welsh Model, was twice female champion before she was finally overall champion in 1996.

The Section A champion was the brood mare Fouroaks Reanne, who has done most of her winning in the north of England but now ventured into Wales and swept the board. The reserve champion was also from England, the barren mare Sunnyhill Gay Wand from the Isle of Wight. At 15 years old, Gay Wand was retired from the showring at this show. The youngstock champion, the bay three year old colt Kingsmead Barnum, had been given by his breeder "free to a good home"!

Section C champion was the barren mare Ashgrove Abigail, who has also won at the Royal Welsh Show three times and is now retired from the showring. Reserve Section C champion was the stallion Thorneyside Bay Prince, owned by Mrs Kath Panayiotou, who also owned the youngstock champion Parvadean Renegade, who had been champion at RASE. The yearling Penstrumbly Popstar (reserve champion), sired by the Welsh cob Yorkin Come Lucky, represented the Welsh part-breds in the breeders' Horse Of The Year Show qualifier, since the champion, Dutarvie Cat Burglar, had already qualified at the Royal Highland Show. Popstar finished up third against all other champions. The four year old Section B palomino gelding Gryngallt Perseus was ridden Section A and B champion, with another palomino, Tallares Sandpiper, winning the Section A class.

The Section B Wortley Jack Flash was first-ridden winner and mini champion in enormous classes, with the Section A palomino Cefngelli Amber leading-rein winner and reserve mini champion. The chestnut Section D mare Murrayhall Faith's Reward, who also qualified for Olympia last year, was C/D ridden champion, with the bay Section D gelding Cwmtawe Kinsey, who is usually ridden by 8 year old Abigail Carey, reserve champion.

The black Welsh cob gelding Bennetts Castle Shogun added another harness championship to his many Royal Welsh wins, and was also champion of the private driving section. Dyfrdwy Starlight won the Section A harness class for the eighth time, Donys Llawen was top of the Section Cs and Leyeswick Benross first for Section D stallions.

Dr Wynne Davies

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